Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), have become commonly used by hobbyists and some commercial or governmental entities. While many UAVs are used for image capture, many other uses exist. UAVs offer unique advantages and considerations as compared to their counterpart manned aerial vehicles (e.g., typical helicopters and fixed wing aircraft). For example, UAVs may be smaller in overall size and lightweight as compared to their counterpart manned aerial vehicles. However, designing small and lightweight UAVs is challenging.
Redundant systems are important in aircraft. As an example, although some UAVs have up to eight rotors, fewer rotors are often needed to keep the UAV in flight or to enable a controlled landing. While not all systems in a UAV include redundancy, it is desirable to introduce redundancy where possible while weighing cost, weight, and other considerations.